Method of and apparatus for coating



P 1927' P. J. BARoRb METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR COATING Filed Au 27. 1926 4 sheets-sheet 2 l I I l 27 1 Sept 927 P. J. BARORD METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR' COATING 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 I Filed Aug. 27. 1926 ritrwa'ses Ir I [/3 #Mmy Sept. 27, 1927.

P. .1. BARORD METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR COATING 4 Sheets-Sheet fiver/tor.-

Filed Au 27. 1926 r 404 J 54EOED,

Patented Sept. 27, 1927.

PAUL J. BAROBD, OF\ DORMONT BOROUGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD OF AND APPARATO'S FOR COATING.

Application filed August 27, 1926. Serial K011531392.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for coating the surface of objects with liquid or fluid coating materials and, while not limited thereto, the present embodiment of the invention relates more specifically to the coating of pipes or other cylindrical objects with a fluid coating material such as paint.

One object of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus which will be entirely automatic in operation.

Another object is to provide a method and apparatus which will form a uniform and even coating over the entire object or surface being coated.

A further object is to provide a method and apparatus in which none of the coating material will be wasted.

A still further object is to provide a method and apparatus having the novel features described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying draw ings.

In the drawings VV of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary detail sectional view on the line VI-VI of Figure 4.

In carrying out the method of this invention, an excess of coating material is first flowed onto the article or surface to be coated and the surface thus coated is then subjected to a wiping action, which in the apparatus disclosed herein is performed by an air wipe,

and this wiping action removes all excess coating material and forces said material into the pores and interstices of the object being coated and results in the forming of a coating of uniform thickness over the entire surface of -the object being coated.

The apparatus to be described is specifically adapted forcoating pipe, and comprises a air of end stands 2 and 3 mounted on foun ation walls 4 which are spaced to provide a space 5 in which a storage tank 6,

adapted to. contain a supply of'coating material, is inounted.-

i A coating chamber form ng the body of Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machinethe machine, and consisting of a hollow casting 7 is mounted between and supported on lugs 8 on the stands 2 and 3 and secured in. 1

position by bolts 9.

The casting 7 is provided with a settling basin or chamber 10 at its lower end, which is formed integral therewith. A pair of end walls 12 extend upwardly from the ends of the basin or chamber '10 in spaced relation to the end walls of the casting forming over. flow chambers 13 for receiving the coating material overflowing from the settling chamber 10.

A pair of branch drain pipes 14 lead from the overflow chambers 13 to a main drain pipe 15, which the tank 6.

A gage 16 is provided for noting the level of liquid in the settling basin 10.

A grate or open support 18 extends longitudinally or from end to end of the chamber or casting 7 above the settling basin 10 and overflow chambers 13. Filter screens 19 are supported on the grateor support 18 and the walls 12 above each of the chambers 13 and cover plates 20 are hingedly supported on the grate 18 and arranged to normally overlie the chambers 13 so'as to cause any liquid or coating material descending in the coating chamber to flow into the basin 10, from'which it may overflow into the chambers 13 through the screens 19. I I

A pair of baflle plates 21 are supported in spaced relation on the support 18 and extend upwardly to the top of the coating chamber so as to prevent any great quantity of the coating liquid, whic 1s applied 'at'one end of the coating chamberv and the excess of which is removed at the other end of the chamber, from enterin the space 22 between the plates, from whic space-a vent or air outlet opens into an exhaust head 23.

The exhaust head 23 is provided with baffle cones 24 to baflie the air escaping from the coating chamber and remove any coating material entrained therein. "Any coating material trapped by the cones 24 will drain through the conduit 25 and pipe '26 back into the coating chamber.

, The top of. he coating chamber at each side i pipeextends downwardly to openings 29. The openings 28 and 29 are of I sufficient size to permit the largest size object or work-piece topass, which in the present embodiment of the invention is a six inch diameter pipe.

The. openings 28 form a nozzle seat in which are seated the nozzles 31 and 32 which are locked in position by set screws 33 mounted in openings in the end stands 2 and 3.

Different size nozzles are used for the different diameters of pipe. However the bases of all the nozzles are of the same size so as to fit the openings 28.

The nozzle 31 is adapted to coat the pipe or work-piece and, therefore, coating material is drawn from the tank 6 through a pipe 35 by a pump 36 and forced throu h a pipe 37 and cored conduits 38 in the end wall of the casting 7 into the nozzle '31.

The nozzle 32 is adapted to direct a stream of air. under pressure onto the coated 1 pipe to remove or wi e off all excess coating ma terial and, there ore, a'pair of cored conduits- 39 are provided in the end wall of the CfiSir'iIfigi 7 and communicate with the nozzle.

, conduits 39 communicate at their upper ends with an air supply pipe 40 leading from a suitable source of air supply and provided ed on one of the foundation walls 4and has its armature shaft 44 provided with a pinion with a control valve 41. V

A motor 42 is mounted on a base 43 mount.

45 which meshes with a gear 46 on a shaft 47 journaled in the end stand 2. Thelshaft 47 is provided with a geared connection 48 to the pump 36. v p A shaft 49 is-journaled in bearings 50 on' top edge and project beyond the ends of the casting. Shafts 59and 60 are-jonrnaled in said rods. adjacent their respective ends. Verticallevers 61 and 62 are secured to the shafts 59 and 60, respectively, and connected by a connecting rod 63, and horizontal levers 64and65 are secured to the shafts 59 and 60 and have rollers 66 and 67 respectively, journaled thereon and extending into the path of the pipe passing through the machine. i

A link- 68 is connected to the lever and to a counter-weighted operating lever 69 of the air control valve'41', so that when a pipe I asses under the roller 66 it will raise the ever 64 and rock the shaft 59 and lever 61 5 which in turn will rockshaft 60 andlevers 65 and 62 through the connecting rod 63 so as to raise the link 68 and open the valve 41 to admit air to the nozzle 32. As the pipe passes out of the coating chamber it will engage the roller 67 and thus hold the.

valve 41 open until after the pipe is entirely out of the coatingchamber, when the valve will automatically close. 7

The nozzles 31 and 32 are identical in construction and the bases of such nozzles are of the same size regardless of the size of the opening forthe passage of the pipe so as to permit an interchange of nozzles.

The cored conduits 38"and 39 in each end of the casting '7 are identically spaced so that they may be connected to either the air or coating supply as desired, therefore changing the coating and wiping ends of themachine about as desired to suit themill layouts in which the machine is placed.

The nozzles 31 and 32 comprise a body portion 70 which is shaped to fit within the openings 28 and are provided with bosses 71 having openings72 therein and adapted to connect with the cored conduits 38 and 39 1n the end walls of the casing 7 The openings 72 communicate with a distributing channel or manifold chamber 73. The body portion 70 is provided with a recess 74, the

forward wall 75 of which is inclined forwardly and inwardly on an angle of slightly more than 45 degrees and extends from the forward edge of the manifold chamber to a work-opening 76. I

' A hollow nozzle plug or sleeve 77 is threaded into the recess 74 of-the body portion 70 of the'nozzle and is provided with an inclined forward wall 78 which is inclined at an angle of approximately 45 degrees. The lug or sleeve'77 is adapted to be threa ed into the recess 74until its forward wall is spaced a short-distance from the for- Ward wall75 of the body portion so as to provlde a relatively narrow forwardly tapering nozzle discharge port 79 through which either liquid or gaseous fluid may be discharged against the pipe orother work-piece being passed therethrough.

A locking ring 80 is threaded on the. sleeve 77 to lock it in adjusted position.

The slud e, scale and other foreign matter,

settling in-t e basinor chamber 10 is adapted to be removed without interfering with the operation of'the, machine, through an opening 82 in the side of the basin 10 which opens into' a cleanout pocket 83 into which the foreign matter may be scraped and removed.

The pocket83is normally closed by ahinged' closure '84, y

In carrying out the method of this inventionwith the above'des'cribed apparatus, the apparatusis set up in a mill "and the pipe to be coated will bedelivered by'any-suit able conveying mechanism to the machine- I and fed endwise therethrough. As apipe I I enters the apparatus its forward end Will engage the rollers 51 and 66. The roller 51 will feed the pipe into the apparatus while the roller 66 will operate the mechanism for opening the valve 41. The motor 42 will, of course, be in operation and pump 36 will be forcing coating fluid under pressure through the coating nozzle 31. The operation of the valve ll. will open the valve andadmit air under pres :ure to the nozzle 32, and this air will be projected onto the pipe as it passes through the nozzle still carrying an excess of coating material which has been projected or flowed thereon by the nozzle 31. By projecting or flowing the coating material onto the pipe under pres.;ure an intimate contact is had between the coating material and pipe surface so as to force the coating material into any depresiions or irregularr ties of the surface.

The stream of air projected against the pipe by the nozzle 32 will wipe or remove all excess coating material from the pipe and also force the remaining material into the pores and interstices of the pipe surface so asto provide a. finished coatingof uniform thickness over the entire pipe surface.

Due to the circular passageways in the nozzles 31 and 32, through which the pipes being coated are passed, which passageways are surrounded by the nozzle discharge ports 79, the coating and wiping fluids will be discharged in a stream having a substantiallycircular outline so as to cause said fluids to be projected-in substantially equal amounts and with substantially equal force against the entire surface of the pipef'thereby cubjecting the entire surface of the pipe to a substantially equal application of the coating fluid and a substantially equal wiping. All the excess coatingmaterial removed or wiped from the pipe will be collected in the basin 10 and returned to the source of supply so that there is no loss of coating material.

The present method is superior to either spraying or brushing the coating material onto the surface to be coated, since both of I such methodi are wasteful of the coating material, do not provide a uniform coating, and do not force the materialinto the pores and interstices of the surface being coated as the present method does.

While I have described certain specific steps of my method, and a certain specific embodiment 'ofapparatus for carryin out my novel method,'it willbe understood that I do not wish to be limited to either the specific steps described nor to. the specific embodiment of apparatus described, since various modifications may be made in both the method and apparatus described in adapting my invention for use in coatin other objects than pipe, such as structura shapes, plain flat surfaces, and the like.

It will be understood that when structural shapes and the like are being coated the same as described above when the nozzles are provided with circular passageways and discharge ports for coating objects such as pipe having a circular cross-section.

I claim:

'1. An apparatus for coating the-surface of an object with paint or other fluid coating material, comprising in combination, a coating chamber, a coating nozzle at one end of said chamber, a wiping nozzle at the other end of said chamber, 'a storage vessel for the coating material, a conduit connecting said stora e vessel and said coatin nozzle nzeans for conveying the article to be coated through saidchamber and past said nozzles, means for feeding the coating material from said vessel through said nozzle so as to flow an excess of coating material onto said surface to be coated, means for supplying air under pressure to said wiping nozzle, and

said wiping nozzle being provided with an outlet passage adapted to deliver a thin stream of air onto the coated surface to wipe all excess coating material therefrom.

2. An apparatus for coating-the surface of an object with paint or other fluid coating material, comprising in combination, a coating chamber, a coating nozzle at oiie end of said chamber, a wiping nozzle at the other end of said chamber, a storage vessel for the coating material, a conduit connecting said storage vessel and said coating nozzle, means for conveying the article to be coated through saidchamber and past said nozzles, means for feeding the coating material from said vessel through said nozzle so as to flow an excess of coating material onto said surface to'be coated, means for supplying 'air under pressure to said Wiping nozzle, said wiping nozzle being provided with an outlet passage adapted to deliver a thin stream of air onto the coating surface to wipe all excess coating material therefrom, means for collecting said excess coating material wiped from the coated surface, and means for'returning said material to said storage vessel.

3. An apparatus for coating the surface of anobject with'pa-in't: or other fluid coating material, comprising in, combination, a coating chamber, a coating nozzle at one end of said chamber, a wiping nozzle at the other end ofsaid chamber, a storage vessel for the storage vessel and said coating nozzle, means for conveying the articletobe coated through coating material. aconduit connecting said;

c charge ifluidunder'pressure in a thin cutting-stream.

said chamber and past said nozzles, a pump for forcing the coating material from said vessel through said nozzle so as to flow an excess of COZItIB material onto the surface to be coated, means for supplying air under pressure to said Wiping nozzle, said wiping nozzle being provided with an outlet passage adapted to deliver a thin stream of air onto the coated surface at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the plane of said sura pump for forcing the coating material from said vessel through said nozzle so as to flow an excess of coating material'onto the surface to be, coated, an air pressure mairr connected to said wiping nozzle to supply air under pressure to said nozzle, a valve for controlling the flow of air tosaid nozzle, means operable by the object being coated for operating said valve, said wiping nozzle being provided with an outlet passage adapted to deliver a thin stream of air onto the coat.- ed surface at an angle of approximately degrees to the plane 'of said surface to wipe all excess coating material therefrhm, and means for collecting said excess coating material wiped from the coated surface.

5. In a pipe coating machinehaving means for flowing an excess of coating onto the pipe, an air wiping nozzle, said nozzle comprising a-body portion having av circularf're- .cess therein, acircular opening in theIfroiit wall of saidrecess ofless diameter than said .recess, said front well being beveled out wardly and rearwardly from said openinglto said recess,,a fluid distributing channel opening through the side wall of said recess im-- mediately to the rear of the beveled portion of said frpnt wall, fluid supply conduits communicatingwith said channel, a nozzle core. threaded into said'recess, said nozzle core being provided-with an i'nolined end wall adapted to cooperate with said beveled. wall of said recess to form a relatively narrow. an-

- gularly inclined circular fluid dis'chargejslot,

said slotbeing'in communication with said distributim'gchannel. and 7 adapted to disrelatively 6. .In azpipe' coating machine having means for. flowing anexcess of coating onto the pipe,

an air wiping nozzle, saidnozzle comprising.

a body portion having a circular recess therein, a circular opening in the-front wall of said recess of less diameter than said recess, said front wall being beveled outwardly and rearwardly from said opening tosaid-recess on an angle of approximately 45 degrees, a fluid distributing channel opening through the side wall of said recess immediately to the rear of the beveled ortion of'said front Wall, fluid supply con uits communicating with said channel, a nozzle core threaded into said recess, sald nozzle corebeing provided with an end wall inclined at a slightly less angle than said beveled front Wall of said recess so as to form a relatively narrow 'gllglined circular fluid discharge slot slighttapered toward its forward or discharge end, said slot being in communication with said distributing channeland adapted to discharge fluid under pressure in a relatively thin, cuttin stream- 7. In a pipe coating machine having means for flowing an excess of coating onto the pipe, an air wiping nozzle, said nozzle comprising a body portion having a circular recess therein, a circular opening in the front wall of said recess ofless diameter than said recess, said. front wall being beveled out-,

wardly and rearwardly from said opening to said recess on an angle of approximately 45 degrees, a fluid distributing channel opening through the side wall of said recess immediately to the rear of the beveled portion of said front wall, fluid supply conduits communicating with said channel, a nozzle core threaded into said recess, said nozzle core being provided with an end wall inclined at a slightlyless angle than said beveled front wall of said recess so as to form a relatively narrow inclined circular flud dischar .0 slot slightly tapered toward its for- War or discharge end, said -slot being in communication with said distributing channel, and adapted to discharge fluid under pressure in a relatively thinacutting stream, said nozzle core being adjustable to vary the width of said discharge slot,';and means for locking said; nozzle core in adjusted positionfi 8. An apparatus fo'rcoating the surface of fan objectwith paint or other fluid coating ing chamber, a coatingnozzle at one end of material, compnsing. ini-combination, a coatsaid chamber, a wiping nozzle at the other end of said chamber,- a. storage vessel for the coatmg materlal, a conduit connecting said storage vessel and said coating nozzle,

means for conveying the article to be coated through said chamberand past said nozzles, a pump for, forcing the coating material from said vessel through said ;nozzle so as to 'flow an'excess of coating material onto the surface to be coated, an air pressure main connected to said wiping nozzle to sup- ;ply an: under-pressure to said nozzle, a valve for controlling theflow of air to said nozzle, means operable by the object being coated for operating said valve, said wiping nozzle being provided with an outlet'passage adapted to deliver a thin stream of air onto the coated surface at an angle to the plane of said surface to wipe all excess coating material therefrom, and means for collecting said excess (fwating material wiped from the coated .sur-

ace. 9. In a pipe coating machine havingmeans for flowing an excess of coating onto the pipe, an air Wiping nozzle, said nozzle comprising a body'portion having a recess therein, an opening in the front wall of said recess of less size than said recess, said front wall being beveled outwardly and rearwardly from said opening to said recess, a fluid distributing channel opening through the side wall of said recess immediately to the rear of the beveled portion of said front wall,

- fluid supply conduits communicating with said channel, a nozzle core mounted-in said recess, said nozzle core being provided with an inclined end wall adapted to cooperate with said beveled wall of said recess to form r a relatively narrow angularly inclined 'circular fluid discharge slot, said slot being in communication with said distributing channel and adapted to discharge fluid under pressure in a relatively thin cutting stream. 10. In apipe coating machine having a means for flowing an excess of coating onto the pipe, an air wiping nozzle, said nozzle comprising a body portion having a circular recess therein, a circular opening in the front wall of said recess of less diameter than said recess, said front wall being beveled outwardly and rearwardly from said opening to said recess on an angle, a fluid distributing channel opening through the side wall of said recess immediately to the rear of the beveled portion of said front wall, fluid supply conduits communicating with said channel, a nozzle core threaded into said recess, said nozzle core being provided with an end wall inclined at a slightly less angle than a said beveled front wall of said recess so as to form a relatively narrow inclined circular fluid discharge slot slightly tapered toward its forward or discharge end, said slot being in communication with said distributing channel and adapted to discharge fluid under pressurein a relatively thin cutting stream.

11. In a pipe coating machine having means for flowing an excess of coating onto the pipe, a'n air wiping nozzle, said nozzle comprising a body portion having a circular recess therein, a clrcular opening in the front wall of said recess of less diameter than said recess, said front wall being bev- "eled outwardly and rearwa'rdly from said opening to said recess on an angle, a fluid distributing channel opening through the side wall of said recess immediately to the rearof the beveled portion of said front wall, fluid supply conduits communicating with said channel, a nozzle core threaded said recess so as to form a relatively narrow inclined circular fluid discharge. slot slightly tapered toward its forward or discharge end, said slot being in communication with said distributing channel and adapted to' discharge fluid under pressure in a relatively thin cutting stream, said nozzle core being adjustable to vary the width of said discharge slot, and means for locking said-nozzle core in adjusted position.

12. The method of coating pipe, which consists in projecting a circular stream of coating material against said pipe so as to flow an excess of coating materialon said. pipe, and then directing a circular stream of gaseous fluid under pressure against said pipe at an angle of approximately 45 degrees tov the surfaceof the pipe to remove the excess coating material from said pipe.

13. The method of coating pipe, which consists informing a circular stream of coating .material, passing the pipe to be coated through said stream so as to coat' the entire circumference of said pipe simultaangle of approximately 45 degrees to the surfaceof said pipeto remove the excess coating material from said pipe.

14. An apparatus for coating the suirface of an object with paint-or other fluidcoat ing material, comprising incombination a coatlng chamber, a. coating nozzle having a centrally arranged passage therethrough, avdischarge port surrounding said opening the coating material is through which adapted tobe discharged onto the ob ect .fluid against the surface of said pipe at an being'coated, and means for wiping excess coating material off of the objectbein coated after said object passes through sai coating nozzle.

15. An apparatus of an object with paint or other fluid coatfor coating the' surface ing material, comprising in combination, a w

coating chamber, a coating nozzle adjacent one end of said chamber and having a centrally arranged passage therethrough, a continuous discharge port surrounding said opening throu h which the coating; material is discharged onto the object being coated, said discharge port having an outline .ap-

proximately the same as the. cross-section U of the object being coated, and means adjacent the other endof said chamber .for

directing a stream of air under pressure onto said coated object to wipe any excess of coating material therefrom.

I 16. An apparatus for coating the surface of an object'with paint or other fluid coating material, comprising in combination, a coating chamber, a coating nozzle at one end of said chamber, a wiping nozzle at the other end of said chamber, a storage vessel for the coating material, a conduit connecting said storage vessel and said coating nozzle, means for conveying the article to be coated through said chamber and past said nozzles, means for supplying air under pressure to said wiping nozzle, and anexhaust head for permitting the air discharged from said wiping nozzle .to escape from said coating chamber,

17. An apparatus for coating the surface of an object with paint or other fluid coating material, comprising in combination, a coating chamber, a coating nozzle at .one end of said chamber, a wiping nozzle at the other end of said chamber, a storage vessel for the coating material, a conduit connecting said storage vessel and said coating nozzle, means for conveying the article to be coated through said chamber and past said nozzles, means for supplying air under pressure to said wiping nozzle, an exhaust head for permitting theair discharged from said wipmg nozzle. to escape from said coating chamber, and means for preventing the coating material wiped from the coated object entering said exhaust head.

18. An apparatus for coating] the surface of an object with paint or other fluid coating material, comprising in combination, a coating chamber, a coatin nozzle at one end of said chamber, a wiplng nozzle at the other end of said chamber, a storage vessel for the coating material, a conduit connecting said storage vessel and said coating nozzle, means for conveying the article to be coated through said chamber and past said nozzles, means for supplying air under pressnre to said Wiping nozzle, an exhaust head for, permitting the air discharged from said wiping nozzle to escape from said coating chamber, means in said coating chamber for bafilmg the an entering said exhaust head to prevent the coating material wiped from the coated object entering said exhaust head, and other means in said exhaust head for trapping the coating material entrained in the air passing through said head.

19. The method of coating objects with fluid coating material which includes forming a. stream of coating material under pressure of approximately the same outline as the cross-section of the object to be coated, passing the object to be coated centrally through said stream so as to cause said coating material to be projected in substantially equal amounts and with substantially equal force against the entire surface of said object and coat the entire surface of the object evenly, forming a stream of gaseous fluid under pressure of approximately the same outline as the cross-section of the object being coated, passing said object centrally through said stream of gaseous fluid, and directing said stream of gaseous fluid against the surface of said object at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the surface of said article to remove the excess coating material from said article.

' 20. The method of coating objects with fluid coating material whichincludes forming a stream of coating material under pressure of approximately the'same outline as the cross-section of thee'object to be coated,

passing the object to be coated centrally through said stream so as to cause said coating material to be projected in substantially equal amounts and with substantially equal force against the entire surface of said object and coat the entire surface of the object evenly, forming a continuous stream of gaseous fluid of approximately the same outline as the cross-section .of the object being coated, passing said objectcentrally through said stream of gaseous fluid,

and directing said stream of gaseous fluidagainst the surface-of said object at an angle to the surface-of said object to remove the excess coating material from said article.-

' In testimony PAUL J, ARoRn.

whereof, I have hereunto- Y signed my name.' s 

